Reunited
by Cordelia Rose
Summary: On the night of Arthur's wedding, Merlin slips out early. Everybody drinks and laughs, and Merlin cries. He falls asleep with the word Freya on his lips, consuming his thoughts...and then wakes up to see an unexpected sight. Well, they do say love works in mysterious ways - espeically for a powerful warlock.
1. Prologue

_Chapter 1 – Prologue_

_Warning/s: None that I can think of._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin._

_A/N: Hey, everyone. I'm currently sitting in my living room, eating chicken korma and watching _Shrek Forever After_ (which I love!) and this idea just came to me._

_If anyone wants to beta this story for me, please offer, because I'm absolutely awful at finding them for myself (too shy to ask people for help D:) and please review ;) obviously this is very short but it is only a prologue, the following chapters will be longer, and on that matter, I don't know how frequent updates will be. Enjoy!_

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Merlin stumbled into his bedroom. His eyes were smarting from the tears he'd been holding back, and his head felt like it was being pummelled by a particularly livid Arthur in one of his less pleasant training sessions. Gwen had noticed, she'd touched him on the shoulder lightly and murmured, "Do you need to step outside for a while?" He'd refused and shoved a grin onto his face, serving goblets of wine to an increasingly intoxicated Gwaine.

In the end, he slipped out of a side door when nobody was looking, when everybody was too drunk to notice, when everybody was happy – everybody but Merlin.

Now, collapsing against his wooden door, he let the tears flow from his eyes, silently choking, rocking backwards and forwards, hands clutching at his hair.

It might have been a few minutes, or a few hours, or a few _years_; the time had merged into one reality for Merlin. When Gaius knocked on the door, tried to open it, surprised when the weight slumped against it ceased to move, Merlin called out to him, saying he was tired.

He was tired, and quite drunk, and to be honest he had fallen asleep against his door, but he would get into bed now, no he wasn't hungry, thank you Gaius.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, the painful sting of it barely noticeable to Merlin, he clambered up and staggered to his bed, fumbled with the knot at the back of his neckerchief and slung it carelessly into the corner – he'd pick it up tomorrow. He tried once, twice, to pull off his shirt, and then was successful the third time. That too was lobbed somewhere in her room. His trousers were a harder task – in the end Merlin became frustrated with the buttons and yanked them off still done-up, not realising he'd wrenched his underclothes off in the process.

He fell onto the bed and lazily pulled the covers up around him.

As he drifted off into a discontented sleep, his eyes dry from the tears, his body numb, his heart aching, his last thought was – Freya.

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_A/N: My ear hurts. I think it's blocked. Thought you might want to know that. Leave me a review so I know what you think please!_


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter 2_

_Warning/s: None that I can think of. _

_Disclaimer: Well, I obviously own Merlin, considering that Freylin is my OTP so OBVIOUSLY I KILLED HER OFF WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT_

_A/N: Wow. Two updates in two days! (It won't always be like this.) I have mock exams starting tomorrow and since I was revising all day today, I figured I could take a break and this is what form it came in. _

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It wasn't even light in his room, but as soon as he opened his eyes a crack, the hammering in his head intensified and a new pain stabbed him directly behind the eyes. He groaned and rolled over in bed, the cover getting caught around his waist and revealing his chest to the cool night air, let in through his open window.

Merlin frowned. His window was open. He never opened his window. He untangled the covers from his body and sat up properly, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand.

"Gaius?" he wondered out loud, with his eyes still fixed on the small window above his table.

"Not Gaius," a voice from behind him offered. Merlin started and attempted to roll over simultaneously, and as a result tumbled out of bed, losing his duvet in the process.

His eyes hurriedly adjusting to the darkness, Merlin stood up and squinted at the figure slouched calmly in his chair, one leg crossed over the other. Her shins were bare – at least, Merlin was presuming it was a 'her' due to the shape of her legs – and she was wearing a bedraggled red dress that just about grazed mid-thigh.

In the dim light and his poorly-adapted eyesight, she looked familiar but still too difficult to fully make out. She spoke again, "Don't you recognise my voice?"

Oh. Of course.

Merlin fainted.

LINE BREAK

"Merlin? Merlin!" someone was calling. He could feel soft hands on his face, stroking his cheeks, caressing him softly. With a great effort, he climbed out of the void in his mind, clawing himself back to reality, and peeled his eyes open – to see Freya.

She smiled, a sweet smile, a smile he had not once forgotten and had missed every day since he saw it for the first time so many years ago, and said, "Hello again," choking on tears that were forming in her eyes.

"Don't cry," Merlin said gently yet absent-mindedly – after all, his dead girlfriend had just appeared in front of him in the middle of the night…and he was naked.

He quickly glanced down and was relieved to see that either gravity or Freya had placed his blanket over his waist, and decided not to ask to save his dignity. Freya had lain down next to Merlin on the floor – where presumably he had fai-collapsed, he told himself firmly, he had _collapsed_- and was crying onto his shoulder.

Merlin shushed her, stroking her back, as he tried to sort out the situation in his head. "Freya," he said quietly, so he didn't alert Gaius to anything going on (him lying naked on the floor with a scantily-clad woman crying next to him probably didn't make a good first impression – or a faintly rational one), "we need to talk – can you sit up?"

Freya gave a shaky nod and allowed herself to be helped into a sitting position. Merlin massaged her back as she took gulping breaths and murmured pacifying comforts until she had regained control of herself.

Merlin guided her onto the bed, and crouched next to her, carefully brushing the tears from her face. "Sorry," she laughed a little, "just overwhelmed, I guess."

"It's okay," Merlin said gently, straightening. "I'm just going to get some clothes on," he informed her, slipping over to his small wardrobe with the cover clutched firmly around his hips. He pulled his usual nightclothes on and settled himself next to Freya on the bed, tossing the duvet over them both.

"Shall I start from the beginning?" Freya asked, sliding her arms around Merlin's waist.

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_A/N: I have to go revise now. Such fun._


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter 3_

_Warning/s: None. (Unless you count the word 'stabbing'.)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, or Colin Morgan, sadly. *sobs in a corner*_

_A/N: Sorry for the long gap in between updates. This was a hard chapter to approach and I fear I may have done a poor job on it. Nevertheless, I think it's acceptable, so I hope you enjoy!_

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Freya exhaled heavily. "When I was first made Lady of the Lake, I was granted a position of power over the waters of the world, and of its beings. I was unsure why; I am of no great position in life, in fact, the opposite, I'm quite the opposite. I was appointed many advisors, mainly mer-people and nymphs. They told me that they were looking for a new ruler, and because I was cremated in the lake where the Council is situated, and because Emrys was the one who placed me there, they decided I was worthy of the throne." Freya paused. "Any questions so far?"

"How did you breathe under the water?" Merlin asked curiously, playing with the ragged hems of her dress.

Freya smiled, her face illuminating with the simple gesture. "It was odd; I was definitely surrounded by water, and when I asked others, they said I was definitely encased in the water, but for me, I felt as if I was on dry land, like I was moving through air."

"Strange," Merlin said ponderingly, "I wonder if there's a spell that can replicate that." Freya tapped his arm lightly to drag him from his daydream, and she continued.

"I was moderately happy with my new life. It was better than being dead, certainly, and I missed you terribly. But I could see you when I pleased – apparently becoming The Lady of the Lake means I get special magical powers – although I could not visit you, which is what I most desired."

Merlin interrupted, "How did you see me? Did you use a seeing-glass?"

Freya shook her head. "No – I didn't have to use anything, even a spell. I just drew my hand in front of me and wished to look into your life, and it showed me what you were doing at that moment in time. I could open them anytime and for any length of time."

Merlin muttered, "Interesting." Then, "Carry on, darling."

Freya beamed at the use of the endearment and readjusted herself in Merlin's arms. "So, as I was saying, I was moderately happy. The people who worked with me were always pleasant and kind to me, and I enjoyed looking after the matters of the water. There were quite a few, surprisingly, and I was kept busy. Still, I longed to see you more than anything, and I mentioned this one day to one of my advisors, while we were arranging a royal feast.

"She said she knew of a ritual that could make me human again; the reason I had not heard of it before was due to the fact that it takes an enormous amount of power, from both the person who wishes to be revived, and another already living person who is willing to revive you.

"As I was the Queen of that world, I had been granted great power upon my rebirth. I had to do much research into the matter and talked to a great many people who had knowledge of such things. We eventually came to a conclusion.

"With my power, and yours, as Emrys, combined, I could be successfully revived. However, the effort would be astronomical, and it would shake the earth. I knew it was a selfish thing to do, but I had to be back with you."

Merlin nodded, processing all of this information. "When did all of this happen?" He nuzzled into her hair, inhaling her sweet, natural scent.

"About six months ago. It was only a couple of days ago, however, that all preparations for the ritual were complete, and I was ready to be reincarnated."

Merlin frowned thoughtfully. "I felt really weak about two days ago…for no reason, it came on very suddenly and I almost collapsed. Is that why?"

"Yes – as I said, the process requires great power from both people, and I had no way to ask your consent. I thought that you wouldn't mind when you found out why, though."

"Of course I don't. So you were revived only two days ago?"

"Yes. The ritual is complex, and I won't bore you with all of the finer details. I had to be cleansed before I could be brought back to this full life. Then, in order to be reborn, I had to be killed to keep the natural balance. I was stabbed with a sacred sword, and as soon as my life ended, I woke gasping on the shores of Avalon."

Merlin hummed for a little while, stroking through Freya's hair. "So do the water beings have a ruler now?"

"I appointed my first-in-command as their ruler. She is a good nymph: Arostaphnes. She was the one who pointed me in the direction of the ritual in the first place."

"I wish I could thank her," Merlin said into Freya's hair, kissing her temple softly. "Do you have any plans for what you're going to do now?"

"I was thinking to try and get some job here, and then maybe we could buy a small house together? Maybe in the town?" Freya hesitated. "I know you like living with Gaius, but I would love to live with you, and this place—" she waved her hand to indicate his room—"isn't quite big enough. Especially the bed – we'd have to sleep one on top of the other."

"I wouldn't mind," Merlin said cheekily, kissing Freya's forehead again. He glanced out of the window – dawn was just beginning to break over the horizon. "I think I know where I can get you a job – and some new clothes."

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_A/N: Reviews, maybe? They make me feel happy, and motivate me to write…_


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